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TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 11 November 2013

MacBook Pro Retina EFI Updates 1.2 and 1.3 -- Apple has released two EFI firmware updates that provide targeted fixes for specific models of the recently released lineup of the MacBook Pro with Retina display (see “New Retina MacBook Pro Models Thinner, Lighter, and Cheaper,” 22 October 2013). EFI Update 1.2 is aimed at the high-end version of the 15-inch MacBook Pro model with Nvidia GeForce GT 750M graphics, addressing a rare problem that limits the performance of the Nvidia graphics processor after a system wake or boot. EFI
Update 1.3 is directed at 13-inch models to fix an issue where the built-in keyboard and trackpad could become unresponsive. As always with firmware updates, we recommend relying on Software Update to ensure you get the firmware update for your specific model, and be careful not to interrupt the update process. (Free, 5.22/4.64 MB)

Marked 2.1 -- Developer Brett Terpstra has released Marked 2.1 to address issues brought up in our initial review (see “Marked 2: A Must-Have for Markdown Writers,” 1 November 2013). Its major addition is the capability to choose words to be ignored by the Visualize Word Repetition feature. Option-click a highlighted word to ignore repetitions in a single document, or Shift-Option-Click to ignore repetitions in all documents. The list can be managed in Preferences > Proofing > Ignore Repeats. The Export and Keyword Highlight drawers have been redesigned with a more modern look that
sheds the dark linen background. Finally, Terpstra has included a fix for issues viewing Scrivener documents, with more Scrivener-related updates promised soon. ($11.99 new, free update, 22.5 MB, release notes)

iBooks 1.0.1 -- Apple has released an update for iBooks on OS X 10.9 Mavericks, with version 1.0.1 claiming the usual unspecified “bug fixes and improvements to performance and stability.” We did notice, however, that the update does not fix the category assignment bug we examined in “Managing an iBooks Metadata Mess” (6 November 2013). The update is available via Software Update. (Free, 14.7 MB)

iTunes 11.1.3 -- If you have a large iTunes library that’s been bouncing too many spinning beach balls of late, iTunes 11.1.3 aims to solve your woes. Apple’s release notes promise that the update will improve performance when switching views within large iTunes libraries, as well as fix an issue with the equalizer. It also turns out to solve a problem syncing some ringtones (see “The Case of the Unsynced Ringtones,” 11 November 2013). iTunes 11.1.3 is available as a direct download from Apple’s iTunes Web page or
via Software Update. (Free, 221 MB)